Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could see some blowing snow, textured surfaces, or wind-drifted pockets among the higher peaks. Any wind slab you find should be rather small and shallow. Just don’t let one knock you off your feet in steep rocky terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–1.5

    All week, observations highlighted signs of wind-transported snow, but the few wind slabs have been tiny and not much of a hazard. We expect that trend to continue on Friday. With a slight uptick in the alpine winds, you might notice blowing snow along ridgelines or find a fresh drifted pillow. However, the story remains the same, any slab should be isolated and small. 

    Since the avalanche itself shouldn’t pose much danger, then it’s all about the terrain. Before you step into very steep or rocky terrain, take a look for thicker drifts or pillow-like slabs. Even these tiny slides can take you for a rough and unforgiving ride during these early season conditions

    (11/27/2024) Wind affected snow, N Aspect back of Hairpiin.

Avalanche Discussion

A passing disturbance to the north could bring a few more clouds and a slight uptick in winds on Friday, but it shouldn’t do much to change the hazard. After a stormy early November, conditions quieted down this week. Recent observations suggest a generally stable snowpack. Snow profiles and snowpack tests have not highlighted any significant layers of concern. This could be due to generally colder temperatures in the East North zone that may have allowed it to escape the crusts noted in other forecast zones. The cold temperatures have also preserved the recent snow with many reports noting fun travel conditions. 

At this point in the year, information is still very limited, and nearly all of it is from the general Washington Pass area. Lower elevations snowpacks are still thin. However, as you gain elevation a deeper but variable snowpack exists. Snow depths above 6000ft range from 3 to 5 feet (80-150+cm). Not surprisingly, early-season obstacles abound. Trees, rocks, logs, creeks, bushes… Give yourself a little extra time to navigate through this extra challenge.

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